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Elsley
was born in London on November 20, 1860 and
was the son of John and Emily Elsley. Elsley
was known mainly for his sentimental pictures
of children and dogs usually in domestic settings
and their popularity found them much in demand
for advertisements. Arthur’s earliest known
work was a portrait sketch of a little dog,
entitled Vic (1871). At the age of 14 he entered
the South Kensington School of Art. In 1876
at the young age of sixteen, Elsley became a
probationer at the Royal Academy School and
only two years later exhibited his first painting
of a pony.
His father died that same year and Arthur, the
eldest son, took over as head of his family.
Arthur ended up marrying Emily Fusedale (his
second cousin). Their wedding took place on
November 11th at St. Thomas’s Parish Church
and they rented a home in St. John’s Wood. Arthur
and Emma had one child, Marjorie. The birth
of his daughter saw the beginning of a highly
successful period of children and animal paintings,
many featuring Marjorie.
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